Cathar/OldVersion
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| Cathar | |
| |
| Let me burn you | |
| Metadata | |
| Player: | @FredrikSvanberg |
| Activity Level: | Inactive |
| Archetype: | Corruptor |
| Origin: | Mutation |
| Primary Set: | Fire blasts |
| Secondary Set: | Thermal radiation |
| Ancillary/Patron: | None |
| Level: | 29 |
| Legal Miscellanea | |
| Full Name: | Abiel Benjamin Gray |
| Identity: | Known |
| Known Aliases: | Cathar |
| Occupation: | Prophet |
| Education: | Home schooled |
| Citizenship: | US citizen |
| Legal Status: | Wanted on charges of terrorism, arson, murder, theft, armed robbery, rape, bigamy, manslaughter and assault. |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Mother; deceased. Father; missing. Brothers, sisters and half-siblings; estranged. |
| Date of Birth: | 1986 |
| Place of Birth: | The Heavenly Light compound |
| Base of Operations: | The Rogue Isles |
| Group Affiliations: | Riot Gear |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human |
| Ethnicity: | African American |
| Eye Color: | White |
| Hair Color: | None |
| Complexion: | Dark |
| Height: | 5'11" |
| Weight: | 160 lbs |
| Build: | Slim |
| Distinguishing Features: | No iris or pupils |
A mutant worshipped as a god by his deluded followers. It's an old classic as far as mutant concepts go and I hope I can make it into a fun character to play.
Contents |
Affiliations
Formerly Nation, currently Riot Gear.
Personality
Passionate yet solemn, charismatic yet humble. He has been worshipped as a god once, he is not interested in going down that road again. He wants to be able to discuss his ideas with equals who won't immediately devour them as truth from upon high, and he wants to evolve, intellectually and spiritually as well as physically. Evolution is only possible where there is a struggle, opposition to be overcome or adapt to.
Once he was non-violent and peaceful, a healer. Such childish notions were brutally torn from him by the betrayal of his father, the death of his mother and the destruction of his home. Now he considers himself a soldier in a holy war to save the world and he is willing to go to any extremes to fulfill his destiny.
Powers
Cathar has the ability to telekinetically manipulate molecules with his mind. He can stretch, bend and twist molecules, which will cause an increased amount of energy to be stored within the material. This, combined with molecules bumping into each other due to increased movement, causes the material to heat up. Eventually the matter he is manipulating will burst into flame. He is not aware of how this actually works, merely that he can set things on fire.
His power has a special relationship to the DNA molecule. He can manipulate this molecule more easily than others and in more interesting ways. He can for example make cells divide faster in order to heal wounds and restore lost blood. This power causes him to burst into green flames which produce a pleasant warm glow but are otherwise harmless.
Cathar used to be able to manipulate the air surrounding an ally in such a way that it formed a bubble of rapidly moving molecules. The shielded individual would seem to be on fire, but was in fact perfectly safe. Small rocks or other debris would sometimes be picked up by the moving air and swirl around the shielded person, which looked nice but had no real purpose. This ability seems to have disappeared in a recent bout of mutation after exposure to strange energies in Bloody Bay.
Additional Powers
Teleportation
This power would seem to be an extreme form of molecular manipulation, since it seems to disintegrate and reform the teleported person or item nearly instantly. Further investigation is necessary to determine exactly how this works. Cathar can teleport himself and willing allies. For some reason he can't teleport anyone against their will. After his third evolution Cathar no longer possess this power.
Flight
Pyrokinetic control over hot air combined with a pair of huge draconic wings provide Cathar with fast flight and great maneuverability.
Leadership
Cathar's natural charisma has suddenly taken a leap into the super-human realm, turning him into a natural leader for the lesser evolved masses of Nation, and any hopeful neutrals who wish to join them. He is constantly and subconsciously creating pyrokinetic displays of light, smoke and harmless flames to make himself appear more impressive. His displays of shadow and light also protect nearby allies by distracting anyone attacking them.
Fitness
Cathar is manipulating the molecules of his own body to improve his speed, strength, health and endurance. He has also had a tertiary evolution which further strengthened his body, adding muscles and altering bone structure to make him stronger and tougher.
Abilities
Well versed in occult and theological theories. Charismatic.
Weaknesses and Limitations
A fanatic. Not always rational or even willing to listen to reason. Impulsive.
Equipment
A staff tipped with a lump of material which, when burned, spews forth a dark cloud of noxious fumes which he can direct towards an enemy through a pyrokinetically created wind. Tiny purple embers created by his pyrokinetic ability encircle the tip of the staff for extra effect.
Character History
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'Right' branded on my brow |
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Religion |
Born and raised in a religious community, the son of the sect leader and another member's wife. During puberty he developed certain powers, most importantly the power to create healing flames. The leader presented this as further proof of his divinity. Cathar knew that his father had nothing to do with his power and eventually recognized the corruption of the man who claimed to be a god. His more subtle gifts of persuasion and manipulation allowed him to slowly turn the sect against his father until he could take over the position as leader for himself. His father left in a rage, swearing revenge.
Cathar leads the sect for some time, healing any sick or wounded person who comes to see him. Having seen his father's lies for what they were, he is merely keeping up a charade to maintain order in the sect. He doesn't share their faith anymore.
The sect was already under investigation by the authorities during his father's leadership, but when the man they suspected of child abuse and worse crimes comes to them willingly and tell them about atrocities commited by his own son they were quite willing to drop certain charges in return for his sworn testimony. After hearing what he has to say they realize that the boy might be dangerous. They call for reinforcement in the form of Longbow, to deal with any potential superpowers.
A warrant is produced to inspect the community's compound to search for weapons and signs of other criminal activity. Cathar recognizes his father's hands behind these accusations and refuses to let them in. The agencies, afraid that he might hurt someone if they storm the building, lay down a siege around the compound in order to start negotiations. Eventually Cathar agrees to see a delegation consisting of one agent and his father. Shortly after they enter the building something happens and smoke is seen coming from the building, followed by flames.
Many sect members die in the flames or from smoke inhalation, including Cathar's mother, and many more are injured. The law enforcement agent who went in is also killed, while the bodies of Cathar and his father can't be found or identified. Longbow puts all the blame on Cathar after seeing some incriminating news photage of Cathar setting some of his followers aflame during the incident. In reality Cathar was trying to protect or heal them with his pyrobiotic powers. When the heat became too strong he teleported away, but he was unable to teleport his father or anyone else out of there in time since the building collapsed too soon after he got out.
To avoid the law he teleports around the world, trying to come to terms with what has happened. He seeks answers from various religions all over the world and studies theology, occultism, demonology, magic and many other esoteric subjects in order to find a purpose with his own life and the gifts he's been granted. During a period of fasting and prayer in a Tibetan monastery the chinese army decides to raid the convent, looking for dissidents of some sort. Cathar has an epiphany and suddenly finds himself able to wield his flames as a weapon. He helps defend the monks against the soldiers and is able to hold them off long enough for the monks to escape.
Strengthened in his conviction by his sudden secondary evolution he takes a new name, Cathar, to symbolize how he has been cleansed by fire. He teleports to the Rogue Isles to seek converts for his cause among the downtrodden and outcast but instead he finds Nation as a home for all evolved, with a leader who has ideas very similar to his own. He joins Nation in order to bring them the message of genetic destiny.
Religion
Cathar har chosen to interpret Black Agony's ideas and his own inspiration as the seed of a new faith. He hopes he can bring his message to Nation in order to promote spiritual unity among the Evolved. Unfortunately this was not to be. Agony died and came back, apparently corrupted by something from beyond, and Nation has become perverted in the eyes of Cathar. He left Nation and joined Riot Gear - mostly for the protection of belonging to a group.
His message is, basically, that the evolved are born for a reason, a great destiny which will require many evolved working together towards a common goal. Cathar believes that the evolved are born to become the saviours of this reality and this planet against invaders from other worlds who seek to destroy all life or the foundations of reality themselves - most recently, the Rikti.
As the protectors of this world the evolved have a duty to continually grow and change, to continue to evolve and develop their gifts, in order to be prepared for any and all new threat that may arise. They must make sure that the world is safe for future generations, and they must breed to make sure that their genetic gifts are not lost or wasted. An evolved who tries to hide or ignore its gifts is just as guilty of wasting those gifts as someone who kills another evolved.
Through contemplation an evolved may discover its genetic destiny, the inner core of its being. This is the perfect essence of its gift which can be achieved by continued study and adherence to the tenets of the faith. Through prayer, meditation and other techniques the evolved may shed the remnants of its former existence as a mere human being and achieve genetic purity through a series of secondary, tertiary, or even more evolutions. Note that this isn't some kind of racial genetic purity but a completely individual purity - each Evolved is unique, the harbinger of a new species each on its own.
The Coming Storm
During a visit to Bloody Bay, Cathar has had a tertiary evolution. Unlike the first two, this one seems to have been mostly physical in nature. It has also stripped him of his teleportation powers, but made him somewhat hardier and more endurable.
Trivia
Like an idiot I managed to respec out of the teleport pool and completely forgot that he had it in his background and everything. Fortunately we have a freespec coming in I11 so I'll get it back by then... Or I can just get rid of it and blame it on a new development in his mutation! Excellent!
